7 Reasons You Should Eat Bulgur, the Whole Grain, More Often ...

If you haven’t tried it yet, there are plenty of reasons you should eat bulgur. If you have tried bulgur, then you know how tasty it is. Bulgur is a whole wheat grain that has been cracked and partially cooked. As a result, it cooks very fast, which is great because it is a healthy whole grain you should include in your diet. Aside from its great taste and fast cooking time, there are many other reasons you should eat bulgur.

1. High in Fiber

The high fiber content of bulgur is one of the reasons you should eat bulgur often. Bulgur has eight grams of fiber in one cup, which is more than in one cup of rice! All of that fiber will help you get the recommended 25 grams a day for women and 38 grams a day for men. Including fiber rich foods in your diet is important because fiber helps keep your digestive tract healthy, and it also helps keep you full and prevents your blood sugar from spiking.

2. Low in Calories

If you are trying to lose weight, bulgur is a great whole grain to include in your diet. It only has 151 calories for every cup, which is not very much at all. However, even though it is low in calories, all of the fiber will help keep you full. As a result, you will have a much easier time staying on your diet!

3. Good Source of Iron

Iron is an important mineral that helps your blood carry oxygen throughout your body. It also helps with collagen formation, and it promotes a healthy immune system. Eating one serving of bulgur will provide you with 8 milligrams of iron, which is 10 percent of your daily value if you are female and 22 percent if you are male.

4. Source of B-Vitamins

B-vitamins are critical vitamins that help your body metabolize food and convert it into energy, which is why you need to make sure that you include plenty of foods in your diet that are rich in B-vitamins. Bulgur happens to be a whole grain that is a good source of B-vitamins. One serving will provide you with 8 to 12 percent of your daily value for most B-vitamins.

5. Superb Source of Manganese

With 55 percent of your daily value of manganese in one cup, bulgur is a superior source of manganese. Manganese is a mineral that supports bone health, thyroid health, and brain health. It also helps control blood sugar and helps with the absorption of vitamins and minerals. Clearly, manganese is an important mineral, and eating bulgur will help you make sure you are getting enough of it.

6. Provides a Protein Boost

Bulgur is 13 percent protein, and it has 6 grams of protein in every cooked cup. This provides you with 11 percent of your daily value of protein, which will give you a boost that will help keep you full and give your body the building blocks it needs to build and repair muscles.

7. Cooks Quickly

One of the best reasons to include bulgur in your diet is that it cooks quickly. In the time it takes you to check your email, you can cook bulgur. To prepare bulgur, you just pour boiling water over it and let it sit for 7 minutes. That is hardly any time at all, which means you don’t have any excuses not be eating this healthy grain.

Although bulgur may not be a grain you typically include in your diet, all of the health benefits and its quick cooking time should make you want to eat it more often. Since it also tastes great, you will be able to enjoy it in many dishes! Have you ever tried bulgur?